Cigarette dispensing device



May 17, 1938. J. A. SIGG CIGAI KETTE DISPENSIMG DEVICE Filed May 1, 19572 Sheets-Sheet l J INVENTOR May 17, G

CIGARETTE DISPEiNSIMG DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1937INVENTO-R Jam-p2 a. 34:

Patented May 17, 1938 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFIQE CIGARETTE DISPENSINGDEVICE Joseph A. Sigg, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application May 1, 1937, Serial No. 140,147

5 Claims. (01. 312- 46);

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cigarettedispensing apparatus, and it is among the objects thereof to provide acigarette dispensing device in the shape of an ornamental figure, whichcan be constructed of inexpensive materials and which shall be adaptedto dispense cigarettes individually by causing the figure to becomeanimated in a novel and pleasing manner.

w Another object of the invention is the provision of means for chargingthe device with a pack of cigarettes, which are individually dispensedby depressing a convenient portion of the dispensing device, and whichshall function to hold 1:, the cigarettes within reach and for theconvenient removal thereof by the person desiring to use the cigarette.

The device is susceptible of various modifications including the use ofone or more actuators for subjecting the device to its cigarettedispensing movement, and it may also be provided with an ash tray, allas will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanyingdrawings constituting a part hereof, and in which like referencecharacters designate like parts.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a cigarette dispensing mechanismembodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 a similar View of the upper portion thereof showing one positionof the dispensing means;

and

Fig. 3 a side elevational view of a modified form of the device.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the draw- 1,5,. ings, the structuretherein illustrated comprises a base i having side boards 2 and anupright 3, the spaces between the side boards and uprights 3 beinguseful as a magazine rack, the uprights 3 being shaped and colored torepresent the 40 legs of a robot. Mounted on the upright 3 is a bodyportion in the form of a coat designated by the numeral 4, which issupported at 5 on the upright 3, this being more clearly shown in Fig. 2of the drawings. The coat portion 4 has inte- 45 grally formed therewitha sleeve 6 and a hand "i, with a thumb 8 extending upright. An ash tray9 is held between the hand and thumb by a Wire strap Hi that fits in agroove beneath the hand and which is pivotally attached to the tray to9. The upright 3 of the body portion and hand t are made of ply-wood, asare the other elements of the figure. A lever II is pivotally mounted atE2 to the body portion 4, and a head generally designated by the numerali3 is piv 5 oted to the lever H at M. The head I3 is in tegrally formedwith a hat l5, which is provided with a slot 16 of a width toaccommodate the cigarettes H; the length of the slot being such as toaccommodate a full pack of twenty cigarettes. The cigarettes are chargedinto the slot 16 by removing a closure l8 that is hinged at 9 and whichis a jam fit between the outer pieces of ply-wood that make up the hat,and when charging the cigarettes, the figure is tilted to the positionshown in Fig. 1. pulled forward and the cigarettes placed in theposition shown in Fig. 2. If the cigarette does not align itself withthe mouth opening 29, it cannot bend when forced forward by abutment 21'as the closure 58 will open and permit removal of the misalignedcigarette.

Thelever H is flared at one end 20, which in one position extendsvertically, as shown in Fig. 1, and may be colored to have theappearance of a cravat or blouse. By depressing the top of the flaredend when the figure is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, leverll will move downward about the pivot l2 and by a notched portion 2|will engage a pin 22 in the head of the robot, Which tilts the headforward about its pivot point 14. A stop 23, Fig. 2, is provided on thebody portion 4, which is movable in an enlarged opening 24 of the leverto limit the movements of lever ll relative to the body 4. The top ofthe lever H is provided with a cam surface 25, Fig. 2, which interactswith a com plementary concave surface 26 of the head, and an abutment2'! on the cam surface of the lever engages the cigarettes I? when thehead is in the position shown in Fig. 2. abutting the lower face oflever ll retracts the lever after it has been depressed, forcing itupward and causing the head Hi to tilt back. In this tilting movement,the cigarette abutting against the face 21 of lever H is forced outwardthrough the mouth 29 of the robot, and a lip 30' of a resilient'materialholds the cigarette in frictional engagement to prevent its being thrownclear of the robot.

The operation of the device, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is briefly asfollows: When the cigarettes are charged in the hat portion by fillingthe slot l6 through the removal of the lever I8, the latter is moved tothe closed position and the robot is fully charged for use. To move acigarette from the container IE to the position in the mouth of therobot, as shown in Fig. 1, it is only necessary, to depress the flaredportion 20 of lever H by pushing it downward. The lever in its downwardmovement will engage the pin 22 of The closure 18 is A spring 28 thehead l3 and cause the head to tilt forward about its pivot l4. Becauseof the leverage of the hat portion from the fulcrum point l4, the headwill have a decided tilting movement to ie forward position, which isshown in Fig. 2, which depresses the spring 28, the latter functioningto automatically restore the lever H to the position shown in Fig. 1.When the head is in the forward tilted movement, as shown in Fig. 2, acigarette will drop between the lip and the abutment 21 of lever H, andwhen spring 28 raises the lever H, the head l3 will tilt back and causethe cigarette, which abuts against the face 2?, to be forced outwardlythrough the mouth of the robot, where it is firmly but yieldingiyengaged by the lip 30.

The cigarette is then removed and another cigarette will fall in itsplace to be similarly dispensed by the oscillatory movement of the headof the robot in the manner explained.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the robot may beactuated in the manner of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and also bydepressing a lever 3| in the form of a foot, which is pivoted at 32 tothe leg 33 that is supported on a base 34. The robot of Fig. 3 differsfrom that of Figs. 1 and 2 in that a separate arm 35 is provided, whichis adapted to move slightly forward when the dispensing means isactuated. The arm 35 is provided with a relatively large pivotal memberor trunnion 36 that is biased by a spring 31, to retain the normalposition of arm 35. The spring is anchored to the upright 33 by a metalstrap 38. Arm 35 is attached to the trunnion member 36 by pins 39.

The body 4|! differs from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in that it ismovable about a pivot point 4|, which consists of a pin extendingthrough the body and the upright 33. A pin 42 acts as a stop to limitthe back movement of the figure, and body 49 is subjected to angularmovement about its pivot 4| by a wire 43 attached to the body 40 at 44,and attached to the shoe or lever 3| at 45. By depressing the foot 3|,the body 46 is caused to move forward. The upper portion or dispensingmeans of the figure is the same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and consistsof a lever 46 pivoted at 41, having a stop pin 48 to limit the backmovement. The head 49 is pivoted to the lever at 56, and the lever isnotched at to provide abutments for a stop pin 52. The mouth 60 isprovided with a yielding lip 6| to frictionally engage the cigarettes asexplained in connection with the remaining figures of the drawings.

Lever 4B is biased to its upright position by a spring 62 pivoted at62a, one end of which is joined by a link 6222 to the spring 31, wherebyarm 35 is biased to the horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3,independently of movement of the body 46. The head is provided with anintegrally formed hat 64, which constitutes the container for thecigarettes and which is provided with a narrow lever 65 pivoted at 66 toopen for the purpose of charging the container with a pack ofcigarettes. An ash tray 61 is mounted on the hand against the upstandingthumb 68 and is secured by a metal strap 69 that fits in a notch ll] ofthe hand ll.

The operation of the dispensing robot shown in Fig. 3 is briefly asfollows: When the container is charged with the cigarettes and it isdesired to withdraw one from the lip 6|, the foot 3| is depressed,causing it to pivot about its fulcrum 32. The wire 43 pulls the body 40forward, which causes the head to snap forward and dispense a cigarettein the same manner as described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 of thedrawings.

As the body 4|] pivots about its fulcrum 4|, the arm 35 remains in theposition shown in Fig. 3 as the body is free to rotate about thetrunnion 36. However, as the upper portion of the body 40 is swungforward, the arm 35 will be extended a corresponding amount in a forwarddirection, thus giving the figure the appearance of reaching out withthe ash tray 6?, and at the same time causing the head 49 to snapforward in position to dispense a cigarette when the head again assumesits normal upright position. As the body 40 is free of the trunnion 36,its forward movement does not disturb the horizontal position of arm 35,which is retained by the bias of springs 3! and 62. Arm 35 does,however, move forward in response to movement of the foot lever 3|because trunnions 36, while not rotating, will move forward with thebody 40.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description of this inventionthat a device as herein described presents a pleasing and useful meansfor storing and dispensing cigarettes for use in the home, at bridgetables or the like. It will also be apparent that the animated parts ofthe figure which are activated during the dispensing action of themechanism, produce a novel and pleasing effect. The device may beconstructed of any suitable material such as ply-wood, which is readilycut out and joined by wooden dowels or the like, and can be sprayed toproduce a highly ornamental effect.

While several embodiments of the invention have been herein illustratedand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatvarious modifications may be made in the details of construction, andthat the principles of the dispensing means may be embodied in figuresof various form and shapes, without departing from the principles of theinvention herein set forth.

I claim:

1. A cigarette dispensing device comprising a stationary body and amovable head, a lever for actuating said head, said head being pivotedfor limited movement on the lever and said lever being pivoted forlimited movement on said body whereby, when the lever is actuated, thehead will be subjected to oscillatory movement relative to said lever,said head having a chamber for storing cigarettes, the bottom of whichis provided with an opening, and said lever being provided with anabutment in register with the opening of the container to engage theends of the cigarettes, and to individually eject the cigarettes throughthe opening in response to movement of the head.

2. A cigarette dispensing device comprising a stationary body and amovable head, a lever for actuating said head, said head being pivotedfor limited movement on the lever and said lever being pivoted forlimited movement on said body whereby, when the lever is actuated, thehead will be subjected to oscillatory movement relative to said lever,and a spring for normally biasing the lever to maintain the head inupright position, said head having a chamber for storing cigarettes, thebottom of which is provided with an opening, and said lever beingprovided with an abutment in register with the opening of the containerto engage the ends of the cigarettes, and to individually eject thecigarettes through the opening in response to movement of the head.

3. A cigarette dispensing mechanism comprising a support, a leverpivotally mounted on said support for limited movement thereon, acontainer for cigarettes pivotally mounted on said lever for limitedoscillatory movement thereon, said container having a cigarette storingcompartment with an opening at the bottom for ejecting cigarettes andsaid lever extending into said container compartment and having anabutment in register with said container opening whereby in response tooscillatory movement of the container a cigarette is engaged by saidabutment and ejected through said container opening.

4. A cigarette dispensing device as set forth in the next precedingclaim characterized by means in the container opening for yieldinglyengaging the cigarette passing through said opening and for holding itin ejected position.

5. A cigarette dispensing device comprising a stationary support, amovable body pivoted on said support and provided with means forlimiting its movement thereon, a lever mounted on said body for limitedmovement thereon and a container for cigarettes pivotally mounted forlimited movement on said lever, said container having a cigarettestoring compartment with an opening at the bottom and said leverextending into said container compartment and having an abutment inregister with said opening for engaging cigarettes and projecting themthrough the opening of the container upon oscillatory movement of saidcontainer, and a foot lever mounted on said stationary support having alink connected to the movable body to move the latter forward and causethe container to be 0s cillated on the first named lever to thereby subject the container and lever to the cigarette dispensing movements.

JOSEPH A. SIGG.

